


Unfamiliarity

by 88138a



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Based on a dream I had, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Hallucinations, Kidnapping, M/M, Memory Loss, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, i guess if you want it you gotta write it yourself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-04-28 21:25:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14458065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/88138a/pseuds/88138a
Summary: Data, Geordi, Beverly, and Will beam down onto the surface of an otherwise unexplored planet. Data is attacked, and left with thoughts and emotions he otherwise would have been incapable of. As the Enterprise-D tracks down his attackers, Data slowly becomes more and more unstable, and then some crazy shit happens in chapter 8I'm bad at summaries but pretend this is enough to draw you in. It's good, I promise.Set before Data first experiences emotion or receives the emotion chip. (not counting the end of that certain season 3 episode that I won't spoil) (So season 6 or earlier)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> wowie! hope this doesnt suck!  
> based off of a dream i had a few nights ago

“Energize.” 

The away team beamed onto the surface of the previously unexplored planet, strong winds whipping through the hair of each crew member. The cold, gray sky left not an inch of room for reassuring sunlight. 

“How’s the air, Data?” William Riker’s eyes scanned the skyline.

Data looked down to his tricorder. “While the oxygen level is close to ideal, I am reading moderate levels of radiation. Long-term exposure is not advised, but any significant damage is improbable.”

Will nodded. “Good. Alright, let’s spread out. Data and Dr. Crusher, check the ship; Geordi, you’re with me.” He motioned with his arm for each set of orders that he gave.

The four split up.

 

Data and Beverly reached the ruins. “I am detecting no life signs besides our own.” Data commented.

“I don’t even see where signs of life could come from,” Beverly sighed. “No bodies, no blood, no indication that anyone was ever here. I don’t understand it.”

“Perhaps everyone had managed to escape before the ship entered the atmosphere.”

“Maybe, but this ship had a crew of 112. And look, the shuttles are all still intact!” 

“In that case, I… do not know.” His voice lowered in volume, confusion and wonder taking its place.

“Yeah, me neither.” Dr. Crusher muttered.

The cold wind blowing through cracks in the walls masked what would otherwise be an eerie silence.

“Data, I’m going to check the other decks for any clues as to the missing crew members. You should stay here in case anything happens.”

Data tilted his head in confusion. “I am not sure if that is a good idea. The-”

Beverly interjected. “It’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. Just stay here, wait for me.”

Data nodded.

Beverly walked off, tricorder and medical supplies in hand.

Silence once again attempted to fill the area, but a loud banging sound echoed from across the ship.

Data began to contemplate his next action. Beverly? No, she could not have made it there so quickly. Will? Geordi? ...Someone else? Is it safe to investigate?

It probably was not.

He went anyway.

 

The quiet sound of Data’s footsteps still managed to vibrate through the walls. He considered calling out, but decided against it. The quiet beeping of his tricorder gave no clues as to the source of the sound he was following. 

The sound suddenly ceased, and Data’s footsteps were matched with another set.

Data paused. The footsteps didn’t. He quickly turned around.

His eyes were not given the chance to make contact. He lost all vision, all sense of movement. But he was aware. Aware of his head violently hitting the floor. Aware of the two voices that hovered over him. Aware of the connections in his positronic brain being revealed. Then altered. His thoughts seemed just out of reach. The world spun around his open eyes, reality slowly coming back to him. There was no sign of the creatures who had somehow rendered him temporarily useless.

He sat up, disoriented and unsettled. The reality of what had happened suddenly hit him square in the stomach, sending him into a sense of what he would learn to call panic. He could feel himself heating up, his breathing growing quicker and his thoughts racing past him. 

He should not have been feeling anything. He knew this. His eyes darted around the room. He needed to get out of there. He was tampered with. Hurt. Violated. He was trapped. Stuck. Lost. He needed to leave. He can not leave. He- 

His thoughts were stopped by the distant sound of footsteps.

His fear got the best of him. “Doctor?” He called.

No response. “Dr. Crusher!” He cried, eyes beginning to form tears. Tears? He did not cry. He could not cry. He was an android. He was an android without his emotion chip. Without emotions. Missing. He was missing something. Incomplete. He was-

“Data?”

Data lifted his head from the ball he did not know he had curled himself into.

“Data! You’re… crying.” Beverly’s voice clouded with concern.

Data raised a hand to his cheek, and his fingertips gingerly touched a warm streak of golden liquid. “Yes… I believe I am.”

“Are you alright?”

“I…” Data paused, unable to form words. Fresh tears streamed down his pale cheeks. 

“We need to get you back to the Enterprise.” Beverly decided. “Are you able to stand?”

Data answered her question with an attempt to stand up. He stumbled, then righted himself. “Yes.”

“Good. We need to find the others.” Beverly began to walk out of the ship, Data following closely behind.

Will and Geordi conveniently stood only a few meters from where the four of them had originally beamed down. “What are you two doing back so-” Geordi stopped mid-sentence, eyes centered on the golden liquid decorating Data’s face.“...Data? What happened?”

“I was… attacked… by two-” Data abruptly silenced, eyes panicked.

“Two what? Data?”

“I was blind. I could not move. I could hear. They were talking. About me. I… can not seem to recall anything else of the event. I want to leave this planet. I have to leave. I… have… I have to…” Data’s eyes began to dart rapidly side to side. He fell to his knees, head in his hands. “I can not stay here. They will come back. They will hurt- They- I… I…”

Geordi knelt down and put his hands on Data’s shoulders. “Data? Data, look at me.”

Data’s eyes flickered up to focus on Geordi.

“I don’t know what the hell is happening to you, and it seems you don’t either. But we’ll figure it out. I’m not gonna let you stay like this. I… I promise.”

Data nodded.

Will tapped his combadge. “Enterprise, four to beam…” Will looked at Beverly. She nodded. “Four to beam directly to sickbay.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uwu dramatic ~ lmao end me

The four of them materialized inside sickbay. 

“Geordi, I need you to try and figure out what’s going on with Data. Doctor, come here for a second.” Will briskly walked to the other side of the room, Beverly following.

Geordi nodded, his gesture falling onto no one’s eyes.

“Alright, Data. Let’s see if we can figure out what’s… going on…” Geordi trailed off. “Data?”

Data had risen from his original kneeling position, now looking around the room in a state of what appeared to be curiosity or even bewilderment. “How did I arrive here? I do not recognize this location.”

“D-Data… you’re on the Enterprise. In sickbay. You’ve known this place for years,” Geordi explained, growing increasingly worried.

“I…” Data stopped for a moment, eyes momentarily lighting up in recognition. “Ah, yes. Enterprise. My memory has returned to me. I apologize if I have caused you any distress.”

Geordi stood, eyebrows furrowed. “It’s fine, Data. Let’s just see what’s causing this.”

Data nodded.

 

“Doctor, did you see or hear anything that could help us here?” Will asked.

“I’m afraid not,” Beverly sighed. “One minute I’m walking down the corridor, and the next I hear Data yelling my name, and when I rush over I see that he’s crying.”

“Was he able to tell you anything?”

“Will, I know as much as you do,” Beverly shrugged. “I just hope that he’s okay.”

Will sighed, his eyes making their way over to Data and Geordi.

 

“Okay, Data, you ready?”

“I do not see any reason for me to be unsure. I- I- I-” Data suddenly lurched forward, his hands gripped tightly to the chair being the only thing keeping him from falling.

“Data!”

Data began to slightly shake, as if he were cold. He stood up and whirled around, facing Geordi. His eyes were wide and frantic. “I need to leave. I need to get out of here. I can not stay here. I-”

“Data! You’re safe here. No one is going to hurt you.” Geordi took a small step closer to Data.

“No. No! I will not let you hurt me.” Data’s voice grew louder and shakier, his breathing becoming rapid.

“What are you talking about, Data? It’s me, Geordi! I wouldn’t dream of hurting you.”

The two stared at each other for a moment, silence only interrupted by the normal atmosphere of sickbay.

“You… You… are Geordi. You are my best friend. I am sorry, Geordi.” Data’s breathing slowed, golden eyes still bright with fear.

“It’s okay, Data.”

“Geordi… what is happening to me? I do not want this to continue.”

“I don’t know, Data, but I want this to stop, too. And for that to happen, we have to work together. Come sit back down, and I’ll get to work.”

Data did not move.

“Data, the only way for you to return to normal is if you actually let me take a look!” Geordi sighed, concern reluctantly making way for exasperation.

Data’s gaze on Geordi hardened. “I am sorry, Geordi. I can not stay here.”

“What are you talking about?”

Data opened his mouth to respond, but his eyes grew wider and he doubled over, almost as if he was in pain. His knees buckled and he fell to the floor.

“Data!” Geordi rushed over to Data, kneeling down next to him.

The sound of Data’s fall alerted both Beverly and Will. They quickly rushed by his side.

“Data,” Geordi repeated.

Data slowly turned his head to look up at Geordi. He seemed only partially focused, as if he were looking somewhere many miles beyond. “I… do not… understand this feeling…” He breathed out.

“Describe it, Data,” Geordi urged, reaching out to grasp Data’s hand.

“I feel… weak… as if I have lost the ability to focus…” Data’s voice grew softer.

“Data, just hold on. Please, Data. It’s gonna be okay. You’re going to be okay.” Geordi seemed to be reassuring himself more than Data.

“This is… a very odd sensation… it is becoming more difficult for me to speak and stay alert…”

“Data, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were falling asleep.” Beverly gave a gentle, concerned smile.

“Hmm,” Data mumbled, eyes closing, “But... this is not of my doing. I currently have… no control over this process.” Data struggled to stay awake.

“It’s alright, Data. Just let yourself sleep,” Geordi assured. “I promise I’ll fix this.”

“Thank you… Geordi.” Data gave a soft smile and let the last of his consciousness drift away, grip on Geordi’s hand finally relaxing.

Geordi sighed and looked up to face Beverly and Will. “Let’s hope his new emotions are restricted to when he’s awake.”

“How is any of this even possible?” Will exclaimed. “Here, on the floor in the middle of sickbay, we have a near-hysterical android who’s just fallen asleep! What the hell is going on?”

“Commander, I know as much as you do.” Geordi frowned.

“Yeah, I’ve heard that line before,” Will sighed.

Geordi turned back to look at the now peacefully sleeping Data. “He seems okay for now. I’d better get to work before anything changes,” Geordi paused. “Will you two give me a hand in getting Data onto the bed?” He turned to Beverly. “I’m sorry, Doctor. I would have him brought to engineering, but-”

Beverly put a hand up. “It’s alright, Geordi. Things have been a bit slow around here, anyways.” She smirked slightly.

Geordi gave as best of a smile as he could. Reluctantly, he let go of Data’s hand and stood, Will and Beverly rising as well.

“Alright, ready?” Will asked.

The other two nodded, getting into position to lift Data.

“On three. One, two, three!”

They quickly but carefully carried him over to a bed in the corner of the room. 

“Well,” Beverly announced, “I’ll be in my office if you need anything, Geordi.” She smiled, failing to hide the concern clouding her expression.

“And I’ve got to get back on the bridge. Wouldn’t want to leave the captain in the dark for much longer.” Will gave one last look at Data before walking off.

Geordi nodded, and slowly turned to face Data, looking down at his expressionless features. “Don’t worry, Data. It’ll all be okay soon,” He murmured.

Geordi’s soft words failed to reach anyone but himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sometimes when i write i hate it but i hate everything i do so lets hope yall dont agree

Data walked through the corridors of the Enterprise, the only sound being the echo of his footsteps and his quiet breathing. He turned and walked into Ten-Forward. He was looking for something. What was he looking for? Why were the tables all empty? Where was everyone?

The ship remained silent.

His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. He turned around. Geordi walked into the room.

“Geordi!” Data smiled, relieved to see a familiar face. “I am glad that you are here. Where is everyone else?”

He did not respond. 

“Geordi?” Data walked over to his best friend. “Geordi, are you alright?”

The room filled with silence once more. Data reached out to put his hand on Geordi’s shoulder. It went right through. The image of Geordi rippled like water, then vanished. Data was alone again.

Data slowly backed away from where his friend had once stood, hand still reaching out to touch nothing but emptiness. “Geordi,” he whispered.

He hardly had time to collect his racing thoughts before another image appeared in the corner of his vision. A mirror. He swiftly turned to face the glass object. Why was there a mirror here? Was he able to look into it? He decided there was only one way to find out. He made his way over to the mirror.

There he stood, eyes gazing deeply into his reflection. He blinked. And there he was, but his reflection no longer matched. He stared into deep blue eyes, warm beige skin complimenting the soft pink of his lips.

He looked… human. His eyes widened and his lips curled into a smile. He looked human! He had never seen himself this way. He reached out to touch the mirror. As his fingertips met the glass, it violently shattered. Shards of glass dug deep into his skin. His pale, android skin. 

He cried out in pain as deep red blood began to stream out of his wounds. He did not have blood. He did not feel pain. His head began to spin with confusion. Why was this happening to him? How was this happening to him? He broke into a sprint, racing out of Ten-Forward.

The world blurred past him as he ran. Blood trailed behind him as the embedded glass continued to dig into his arms and face.

“Whoa, whoa, Data!” A familiar voice came from behind him. He kept running.

“Data! What’s happening to you?” 

No matter how far he ran, the voice of his best friend never grew quieter. Geordi called his name once more. The ship began to shake.

“Data, please… Please be okay.”

He stopped running. The ship violently jolted and he fell to the floor. The world around him grew dark.

Data’s eyes snapped open. “Geordi!” Data cried.

“Data, I’m right here,” Geordi spoke softly, kneeling down next to Data.

Data let out a shaking breath of relief. His fear began to wash away.

“My… My internal chronometer suggests I was unconscious for 3 hours, 18 minutes. Is that correct?”

“Yeah, and about 30 minutes ago you started what I can only assume is... dreaming. And by the looks of it, it wasn’t a very pleasant dream.” Geordi furrowed his eyebrows in worry.

Data moved his gaze to the ceiling. “I… saw you, Geordi.”

“Me?”

“Yes. When I attempted to reach out to you, you disappeared. A mirror appeared inside Ten-Forward, and when I looked, I-” Data silenced, and a golden tear fell from his left eye. “I was human. The mirror shattered. I began to leak red fluid.” He hesitated. “Blood. I ran out of the area, and you appeared again. You called out for me.”

“I’d been talking to you. Here, I mean. I guess it got through to you.”

“I believe so. Thank you, Geordi.”

Geordi gave Data a soft smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Anytime, Data.”

“Geordi…”

“Yeah, Data?”

“When I was dreaming, I experienced what I assume was pain. When the mirror broke, heat emanated from the wounds in my skin and the sensation I felt was… very uncomfortable. Distracting.”

“I- I don’t know, Data. Sounds like it to me.”

“I did not enjoy that experience. How do I know I will not ‘fall asleep’ again?” Data looked back at Geordi, anxiety in his eyes.

“I wish I knew, Data.”

A sad silence filled the room. Data abruptly sat up from his previously horizontal position, in an attempt to get a better look at the area. He stayed upright for about half a second before pitching to the side.

“Data!” Geordi stood up, scrambling to keep Data from falling off of the bed.

“I... apologize, Geordi. I do not know what has just occurred.” Data frowned in confusion.

Geordi smiled. “Seems to me like you lost your balance. I know it might not make sense,” he said, noticing the expression on Data’s face, “but there are a lot of things that don’t make sense right now. Just… lay back down and take it easy.”

Data nodded, leaning back to return to his original position.

“While you were out, I was able to get a decent idea of what’s going on here. After a bit of looking around, I discovered something attached to the majority of the most vital parts of your brain. I’ve got to guess that that’s what’s causing all of this. The only problem is, because of the amount of connections it’s linked to, I can’t remove it; not without… without killing you.” Geordi revealed.

Data’s eyes widened. “Ah… I see.”

“The way it’s been attached, it’s almost as if you were built that way. I’m sorry, Data. I promise I’ll find a way to fix all of this, but for now I’m at a loss.” Geordi sighed, kneeling back down next to his friend.

“It is… alright, Geordi.” A clearly exhausted Data tried his best at a reassuring smile, putting his hand on Geordi’s shoulder.

Geordi let out a heavy-hearted chuckle. “Look at you, Data. After all you’ve gone through and you’re still trying to make me feel better.”

“I… care about you… Geordi,” Data struggled to speak. “I…” Data trailed off and his soft expression faded, wide eyes moving to stare at the ceiling. 

“Data?”

“G-Geordi… I am… experiencing… pain…” Data stuttered out.

Geordi quickly stood. “Shit, shit, shit! Data! Okay. It’s okay. What do I do?”

“I… am unsure if… you are able to… do anything... to help me…” Data began to take shallow, panicked breaths, pupils beginning to dilate. 

Geordi tapped his combadge. “La Forge to Dr. Crusher, Data’s in a lot of… he’s in a lot of pain right now and I don’t know if any kind of treatment would work on him!”

“I’m on my way,” Beverly’s voice came through from the other side.

“Just hang on, Data, hang on-” 

Data squeezed his eyes shut and let out an ear-splitting cry of pain. He threw his head back as best he could, slamming onto the surface of the bed.

As if on cue, Beverly rushed into the room. “Data! Geordi, what’s happening?”

“I- I don’t know, Doctor! All I can see is that he’s in a hell of a lot of pain and I don’t know what to do about it! I can’t switch him off, either, it’s too dangerous. Would some sort of painkiller do anything?”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Beverly declared. She took an anesthetic hypospray and pressed it to Data’s neck. Just as she was about to discharge the anesthesia, Data stopped writhing in pain.

The stains of tears painted Data’s face, but he remained unharmed.

“Data? What happened?” Geordi implored.

Data wearily turned an unfocused eye to Geordi. “It seems… that when I attempt to resist… what is currently h-happen… happening… to me… I am met with increasingly debilitating obstacles…”

“So the more you fight back, the more you’re given to fight against.”

“Precisely,” Data mumbled.

“So what are you supposed to do? You can’t just let this thing take over your mind!”

“I, too, am at… what you could call… ‘a loss,’” Data grew quieter.

“What did the pain feel like?” Beverly cautiously asked.

“It is difficult… to describe… Pardon my lack of a better explanation, but… it was as if… my head was being torn open… from the inside…”

“Oh, Data,” Geordi whispered. He could feel tears beginning to form in the corners of his eyes. “I promise I won’t let you stay this way.”

“I know. Thank you… Geordi.”

Data seemed to fall asleep, but his eyes remained slightly open. He was only barely aware of his surroundings. His breathing was tired yet uneven, each movement riddled with anxiety.

“I promise,” Geordi whispered once more.

Beverly gave Geordi a concerned look and turned to face him. “Have you found anything yet?”

“I have, but there’s no way to get rid of what’s hurting him without taking his life in the process.” Geordi frowned.

“Hmm. If you find anything, be sure to let me know. Now, I may not be an expert on this kind of thing, but I think I’d be able to offer a hand.”

Geordi nodded. “Thank you.”

Geordi let out a shaky sigh before getting back to the task at hand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took forever to write my life has been a complete trainwreck the past few days  
> hope y'all enjoy <3

“Geordi,” Data managed to croak out, a soft mechanical whirring accompanying the sound of his voice.

Concerned regarding Data’s now altered voice, Geordi turned to face him. “Yeah, Data?”

“Where are we?” He asked, lying entirely still except for his eyes, which were now wide and quizzically looking around the room.

Geordi sighed, brows furrowed in sorrowful exasperation. “Data, that’s the third time you’ve asked me that in the past hour. Each time, I answer you, and each time, you forget again.”

“Geordi, I believe you are mistaken. This is the first time I have asked you this particular question.” Data spoke quietly, and ineffectively struggled to lift his head to give a further example of his confusion.

“This thing really is messing with you, isn’t it?”

“I…” Data hesitated.

“It’s alright, Data. Have you been experiencing anything else out of the ordinary?”

“Nothing abnormal has happened besides being extremely ‘tired’, which has now become a regular occurance.”

“No nightmares, no pain?”

“That is correct.”

“Well, that’s good. I think.”

A nervous silence filled the room.

“Geordi?”

Geordi looked up from his work.

“I am afraid.” Desperation shone in Data’s eyes.

“Me too, Data,” Geordi choked out, throat closing in preparation from the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.

“Please do not be sad for me. I do not want this to concern you more than it has to.”

“Data, you’re my best friend! Of course I’m going to be sad for you. I really care about you.” 

Data’s lips curved into a soft smile at Geordi’s words. “Thank you, Geordi.”

Geordi returned a smile, leaving Data unaware of the heavy sadness behind his face. The soft atmosphere of sickbay began to lull Data back into his state of semi-consciousness.

‘Data?’ A gentle whisper came from next to the android.

“Yes, Geordi?” The quiet abnormality in Data’s voice had slightly increased in volume.

Geordi turned to face Data. “I… didn’t say anything.” 

“You-”

‘Data.’ The soft voice returned, cutting him off mid-sentence.

Data struggled to sit, propping himself up with his elbows. He looked around the room, perplexed. “Geordi, do you hear that?”

“Hear what, Data?” Geordi slowly stepped closer to Data, dread beginning to creep up his spine.

‘Data. Data! Data!’ The voice became two, then four, then slowly too many to count. They whispered, they screamed, they cried, they laughed.

Data’s breathing became rapid. He looked around the room frantically, trying to find some way to stop the sound. “Stop. Stop!” He sat up fully despite the wave of lightheadedness that hit him a second later, and firmly pressed his hands over his ears.

“Data? Data, are you okay? Can you hear me? What’s going on?” Geordi’s muffled voice slithered past Data’s hands and into his ears. The voices only grew louder.

“I… am hearing… dozens of voices…They are all saying my name. I…”

“Data?”

Data remained silent, staring off into what could’ve been a million miles away. Geordi walked over to Data and sat down next to him, putting his hand on Data’s, a gentle way of asking him to take his hands off of his ears. 

Data complied, despite the chaotic voices that continued to call out. He turned to face Geordi. “Geordi… I do not feel well.” Their hands had become interlocked, Data holding increasingly tighter.

“What do you mean, Data?”

“I am growing increasingly disoriented. My… vision is becoming black at the edges. The voices are slowly dissipating, but... the rest of my hearing is… fading... too… Geordi, I…” Data let go of his hand and fell to the side, directly into Geordi’s lap.

Geordi flinched in surprise, staring down at the barely conscious android. 

Data gazed up at him in confusion. He blinked, wearily looking around the room in an attempt to regain some of his awareness. Suddenly, he sat bolt upright, nearly knocking Geordi in the chin with his own head.

“I sincerely apologize, I did not mean to lose control of my balance.” The malfunction in Data’s voice had begun to overpower every sentence he vocalized. 

“It’s alright, Data. Are you okay?”

“I believe I have fully regained consciousness.” He paused. “I do not believe I have seen you before. You are... Geordi La Forge, correct?”

Geordi stiffened and swallowed the lump in his throat. “That’s me,” he weakly replied.

“Are you alright, Commander?” Data tilted his head.

“Data… you really don’t remember me?” 

Data paused. “I… cannot access the memory files. But I do have them. I am sorry, Commander.”

Geordi gave a weak, bitter chuckle. “Geordi.”

Data blinked, confused.

“You always call me Geordi. We were- are best friends. We’re best friends.”

“Best friends,” Data repeated to himself.

“Yeah. Best friends.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there's just a whole lotta dramatic shit going on here.  
> since i forgot to write for like 5 days this chapter has like 1500 words instead of the normal 1000  
> leave constructive criticism as always! idk if im happy with this chapter

A small groan of discomfort escaped Data’s lips, although it came out as more of a mechanical whine. His head had been aching nearly nonstop ever since the first wave of pain had hit him. As time progressed, he found himself less and less willing to move, or even keep his eyes open.

“You okay, Data?” Geordi inquired.

“It is just the pain in my head. I am alright,” Data mumbled, exhaustion still trying to pull him closer to unconsciousness.

“Data?”

Data glanced over. “Yes, Geor-?” He cut himself off. His wide eyes locked on Geordi.

“What is it, Data?” Geordi felt self-conscious under Data’s intense stare, but that feeling was overpowered by the curiosity and concern that jumped to the front of his train of thought.

“I… do not know. For a very short period of time, I felt… a sense of familiarity. Closeness. With you, Geordi. As if I have lived many years with you by my side.”

Geordi shook his head and laughed dryly, finding humor only in his own sadness.

Data continued. “Until now, I have lived my entire life devoid of emotion, Geordi. In the past few days, I have felt an overwhelming variety of experiences I could previously only hope for. And, even as I cannot look back on the years I have spent with you as my friend, I can say with what little confidence that remains... that I would do anything to recover my memories of you. And I am sorry that I cannot find any means to commence that retrieval.”

Geordi watched silently as Data finished speaking. “Oh, Data… You don’t know a thing about me and you still somehow find a way to make me smile.”

Data weakly smiled, his gaze on Geordi only partially focused. “I am also sure of myself… when I say that making you smile is something I thoroughly enjoy.”

Geordi blinked back the tears that stung at the corners of his eyes. “Thanks, Data. I needed that more than you can imagine.”

Data attempted to return a small smile, but his head jerked forward and he sharply inhaled. “Oh... Geordi, wh-what is this feeling?”

“Describe it, Data.”

He let out a shuddering breath. “I do n-not know if I can. It is as if I have been… sh-shocked. M-My speech seems to be malfunctioning as w-well.”

“Data, are you… shivering?” Geordi watched the android began to tremble slightly.

“I s-suppose you could refer to this as sh-shivering. However, the temperature in this room h-has not changed,” Data managed to stutter out.

“Well, you sure look cold.”

“Cold,” Data breathed out. “Yes, I believe th-that could be considered somewhat similar to what I am f-feeling.” His voice continued to quaver, and he turned his head to face Geordi, desperate eyes pleading for a solution.

Geordi frowned in confusion. “I... Do you think if I replicated you another blanket it’d help? Or-” Data grabbed Geordi’s arm, an unavailing attempt to keep himself attached to reality.

Data began to shake, eyes moving from side to side. His breathing became quick and shallow. 

“Data?” Geordi resisted the urge to step away.

“Geordi,” Data seemed to almost call out, as if he were a great distance away. Data struggled to look at his friend, and Geordi could see the pain and fear in his eyes as he tried to speak, but all that came out was panicked word salad. Geordi’s name appeared a few more times throughout Data’s fast-moving paraphasia, but that was all he could decipher.

Slowly, Data’s eyes stopped jerking back and forth and he abruptly sat up, letting out a cry as if he had just awoken from a terrible nightmare. He turned his head in order to face Geordi. “What has happened?” His face reflected the perplexed expression of Geordi’s own.

“I don’t know, Data. I really don’t know. You were shaking, then you just… started speaking nonsense. I couldn’t understand a word you were saying.”

“I do not recall saying anything. In fact, it seems that I have no memory record for the past one minute, 14 seconds. All I can remember is... holding onto your arm.” Data looked down, as if just becoming aware of his hand still tightly grasping Geordi’s wrist. “Sorry.” Data loosened his grip, but did not let go. 

“Data, this is only getting worse. I think I’m getting somewhere, not with the function of whatever’s been implanted in your head, but the location of where it was originally created. I just-”

Data quickly climbed out of bed. His vision cut out momentarily and he stumbled, leaning on the wall behind him for balance. “You do not need to worry about that, Geordi. I suppose you could say… I need to be ‘getting somewhere’ as well.” He cracked a smile, one that caused Geordi’s heart to thunder in his chest. The wicked fire in Data’s eyes no longer matched the rest of him.

“What do you mean by that, Data?”

“I…” Data paused, closing his eyes and holding his hand to his head. Gritting his teeth in pain, he opened his eyes to face Geordi, expression now softer, no longer malicious. Just afraid. “I cannot remain here any longer.”

And then Data ran. Geordi raced after him, but to no avail. Data’s superspeed remained unmatched. The walls of the corridor blurred past him, crew members rushing out of the way to avoid being run into. He was only a few seconds from the bridge when suddenly his head spiked with pain.

Data let out a cry of agony as he fell to the floor, head in his hands. His hearing was cutting out randomly, as was his vision, but he could hear Geordi calling for security. 

“Geordi,” he choked out, nearly unable to speak from the vocal malfunction.

Geordi kneeled down beside Data, who still had his head in his hands. “What is it, Data?”

Data reached out to Geordi, only for him to flinch out of his grasp. “Ow! Data, you’re burning hot! What’s your body temperature?”

“Geordi,” Data continued, unintentionally ignoring the question, “I believe I am experiencing... intuition. A ‘gut feeling’.”

“What is it, Data?” Geordi leaned closer.

“I can feel most of my body... beginning to overheat. My circulatory systems are no longer functioning properly. My hearing and vision have begun to... malfunction, and I am finding it increasingly... difficult... to stay conscious. I can only come to the conclusion... that I am dying, Geordi.”

“Data, you are not going to die. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

“Geordi…” Data whispered.

“Yes, Data?”

“I remember you now, Geordi. I am sorry that I… I could not have spent more time with you.”

“Data, don’t talk like that. Now, think. If you remember me, what else do you remember?”

“While I was unconscious… I was still capable of processing everything I was hearing. I believe I… am able to remove the device. But we must act quickly. By my calculations, which may not be entirely accurate due to my impaired state, I will…” He hesitated. “Expire… in the next 3 hours, 26 minutes.”

“Well then, Data, what are we waiting for?”

“Geordi… There is an approximately 73% chance I will not survive, and a 100% chance that, due to the amount of connections to device is tied to… the procedure will, as one might say, ‘hurt like hell’.” Data smiled slightly at that, finding satisfaction in his proper use of the phrase.

“Are you willing to take that risk, Data?”

“I believe so… I do not wish to endanger you... or myself... for any longer. However, I am afraid. I was… entirely oblivious to the feeling… of fear… until very recently, but… I am terrified.”

“I know, Data. I know.” Despite the uncomfortable warmth, Geordi rested his hand on Data’s shoulder. The heat wasn’t as intense when his hand was shielded by clothing.

“Geordi, I-” Data briefly continued his sentence, but he was now entirely incomprehensible. His voice had been entirely obstructed by the mechanical hum. 

“I guess we better get started. Can you walk?”

Data stood slowly, and his knees threatened to buckle from under him. The ship seemed to sway from side to side as he attempted to regain full balance. Data nodded.

“Sickbay is a shorter walk than Engineering,” Geordi decided. “Let’s go.” Geordi tapped his combadge and canceled the security threat.

Data’s vision continued to flicker as he clumsily made his way to Sickbay, finding it increasingly harder to stay upright. He glanced over at Geordi, head tilted in thought. His memories of Geordi disappeared and reappeared with the same chaos that his hearing and sight did. But even though he was unsure of himself, he knew. He knew what had been hiding in plain sight for years.

Data wished he could speak.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay! i watched nemesis a few days ago and have been crying my eyes out ever since
> 
> I've been writing a lot of poetry lately so this chapter has a lot more fun metaphorical imagery type stuff, I find that i tend to write what I'm accustomed to. 
> 
> ugh is this too rushed sdkjfhsk i feel like it's too rushed

Words aimlessly wandered in the back of Data’s head. He had grown accustomed to the unpleasant feeling of fear, but this was different somehow. He was uncertain. Conflicted. Almost agitated. Maybe he should not say anything. Perhaps it was not of importance. There was no way to gauge his reaction. If-

“Data?” Geordi pulled him out of his thoughts.

Data opened his mouth to respond, only to be met with the disheartening reminder of his worsening condition. Data quickly shut his mouth, frustrated. They sat in silence for a moment, when Data’s eyes suddenly lit up with motivation. He cautiously rose from his sitting position and grabbed a PADD from the surface beside his bed.

He typed so quick that his fingers and hands blurred. Words filled the previously empty, black space. Data handed the PADD to Geordi.

“Because of the pain I will inevitably experience and my current impaired state, I will be unable to perform the operation myself. I have written a list of exact instructions to guide you. Please be aware that the pain I undergo is irrelevant to the possible harm done by this procedure. Do not stop if your only reason is to spare me discomfort. Good luck, Geordi.”

Directly below was a long, complicated list of specifications. “So… just follow this and I’ll be fine?”

Data nodded.

Geordi gave a nervous sigh, turning his eyes back to the PADD.

“Step one: You will need to leave my cognitive functions active, so I do not permanently lose consciousness, but you must disable any functions that allow me to move, excluding my respiratory systems and facial movement. The restriction of my movement is so that I do not interrupt the procedure or harm you.” 

“Data, are you sure about all this?”

Data nodded again, fear sparking wild flames behind the gold of his eyes. He laid on his back, arms at his sides. He gave a quick, nervous glance at Geordi, followed by what was supposed to be a reassuring smile.

Geordi tapped open Data’s head and began to work, touching Data as if he were made of the most delicate glass.

Data flinched and sharply inhaled, fear slicing through his chest as he was abruptly rendered immobile. 

Geordi’s heart sank into his stomach as he began the process of removing the device. 

 

With each connection broken, pain struck Data like lightning. His eyes squeezed shut and he wished he could scream. Knives pricked at his fingertips as vines made of smoke wrapped themselves around Data’s head, crushing him like silver snakes. 

Data’s eyes darted frantically around the room, his vision erratically cutting in and out and losing color. 

His internal systems began to heat even further, but his shallow, quick, anxiety-ridden breaths were no help to lower his temperature.

Data’s vision cut out entirely, leaving him to stare into miles of hollow darkness. Voices echoed in his ears, hundreds of people speaking to him at once. The ambience of sickbay faded behind the swirling voices of Geordi and Will and Jean-Luc. Whispers and red alerts and fingers sliding across the strings of a guitar.

And then it all stopped. There was nothing. He heard nothing, saw nothing, felt nothing. He was nothing. He was gone, faded into a speck of dust. 

Not aware. 

Not alive. 

Dead. 

Darkness surrounded him, wisps of the last of his consciousness floating past his head and out through his ears. 

Erased from the stitches that sewed together the fabric of existence. 

Floating through his empty thoughts, riding the stars like waterslides.

 

1… 2… 37… 54... 83… 96… 100

 

Data’s eyes snapped open.

“Data! I thought I lost you.” The stains of tears painted Geordi’s face.

“How… long… was I…” Data struggled to speak.

“Six hours, Data. I got the device out five hours ago, it took me about an hour and a half. I’ve been trying to revive you ever since.”

“Six… hours…” Data was pleased to find he could now move again, and abruptly rose to a sitting position. “It is an odd sensation… to perceive time so… non-linearly.”

Geordi smiled. “How do you feel, Data?”

“I am no longer disoriented nor in pain, but my processing speed is significantly lower than normal.”

“That’ll go away in a day or two. You’ve been through a lot, Data, it’s no wonder your brain would be a bit foggy after all that.”

Data opened his mouth to ask the idiom’s meaning, but seemed to figure it out himself before requiring the explanation.

“Geordi… I am still experiencing emotion, both positive and negative. It is not as intense as before, but it is still present.”

“Yeah, and I don’t know if that’s permanent or not. For your sake, I hope it is. I mean, you’ve wanted emotions your whole life.”

“Yes, I have,” Data paused. “Geordi…”

Geordi waited in silence for a response.

“Am I well enough to return to duty?”

Geordi’s eyebrows furrowed. He had known Data long enough that it was easy to tell when he wasn’t saying what was on his mind. But he didn’t want to pester him. 

“Yes you are, Data. I’ve already run a bunch of tests and you’re almost good as new. And they certainly need you, too. If we want any chance of finding the absolute fu-” Geordi paused, clearing his throat. “The people who did this to you, they’ll need your help.”

“I intend to be as helpful as possible.”

Geordi smiled. “I gotta say, I’m really happy to see you again, Data.”

Data smiled, a real smile. Not one of artificial simulations, not one of human imitation. He smiled of joy. Happiness. As tiny shocks prickled up his arm and into his chest, he felt something else, too.

“I…” Data’s mouth remained open, but the room rang with silence. “I will be on the bridge.” He stood. “Thank you, Geordi. I could not have survived without you. You saved my life.”

“Anytime, Data.”

Data looked at the floor, and then at Geordi one last time, and walked out of sickbay. Confusion was as new to him as any other emotion, and it certainly was not the most enjoyable.

His thoughts swirled like smoke in his head as the turbolift led his descent.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this one is only 500 words instead of the usual 1000 but its cute so
> 
> Edit: not the end haha I changed my mind I plan to put more into this YEET
> 
> also yes i plan to write many more stories about these two i love them

An upbeat chirp emanated from the door to Geordi’s quarters. “Come in!” Geordi turned his head only briefly to face the entrance, still remaining focused on his work.

The doors slid open to reveal Data. “Hello, Geordi.” 

Suddenly, the PADD in his hands and the thoughts in his head were outshined by the glow of Data’s presence. “Hey, Data! How’re you doing? Have you found out anything important about the device?”

“Yes, the investigation is going well. But… that is not why I am here.” Data suddenly seemed much smaller as his gaze locked on the floor, hands held behind his back.

“Then why are you here?” Geordi leaned forward.

“Since my recent development of emotion, I have been analyzing the emotional impact of every aspect of my life. I have experienced many distinct emotions, both negative and positive, some stronger than others.” Data now had his hands in front of him, mindlessly watching himself twiddle his thumbs. “There is, however, one specific emotion that has captured my attention. Geordi…” He looked up, eyes now focused on Geordi. “You are my best friend. I never knew friendship before I met you. You have always been supportive of me, and I would have no one else by my side. I value your presence greatly. You saved my life 6 days ago, and I find it difficult to express how grateful I genuinely am. I have spent my whole life separate from any feeling, but that changed 8 days ago. I… I believe… I…” 

“What is it, Data?” Geordi walked over to Data, leaving only a small distance between them.

“I…” Data’s eyes flickered to the floor and back to Geordi, staring so deep it seemed he could have read his every thought with enough concentration. “May I kiss you?”

Geordi’s eyes widened, the reaction obscured by his VISOR. The two stood in silence until Geordi managed to stammer out a coherent response. “I, I mean, yeah. Sure. Yes.”

Data held back the fond laughter that bubbled in his chest at seeing Geordi flustered and leaned down, closing the distance between them, his eyes fluttering closed. 

As their lips met, time slowed to a stop, only breaking its frozen state to allow Data to cup Geordi’s face with his left hand. Geordi let out a content sigh as the kiss deepened. 

Small shocks of euphoric passion traveled up Data’s arm into his chest, and if he were human, his stomach would have flipped.

Geordi pulled away, having run out of air, and the two looked into each other’s eyes. 

“You know, I’ve been waiting for years to hear you say that,” Geordi’s heart was pounding in his chest, and he was smiling brightly.

Data smiled, golden eyes sparkling with happiness. “The further I reflect on memories of the past, the more I realize that I have been waiting years to ask.”

This time, they closed the distance together.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ooo boy its getting real!!1 its just. its good. read it
> 
> also i made the paragraph separations bigger so its easier to read!

With one swift movement, they were able to disable him. That was all it took. He laid on the floor of that ship, defenseless. Who is to say that could not happen again? He is dangerous. He is a liability. He is vulnerable. He is-

“Data? You okay?”

Data flinched, having been so immersed in his thoughts that he had forgotten he wasn’t alone. “I apologize, Geordi. Ever since the original incident, I have found myself quite… preoccupied. As thrilling as it is to feel emotion, negative or positive, this is not what I would consider an enjoyable experience.”

Geordi frowned sympathetically. “Would you be alright with being more specific? I want to be able to help.”

“It is not important.” Data didn’t remove his eyes from the console.

“Maybe not to you, but it’s important to me! I- I care about you, Data. Please, let me help you.” Geordi put his hand on Data’s shoulder.

Data turned to face Geordi, still avoiding making eye contact. “I... have been worried. In a matter of seconds, I was rendered entirely defenseless. I could not see or move. I am concerned that there is a chance of that happening again. I do not want to be defenseless. I do not want to be a danger to others. I do not want to be an inconvenience. I…” Data’s voice began to waver. “Despite what all rational thinking is telling me, I feel as though this is my fault.” He blinked back the golden tears that threatened to stream down his cheeks.

In a wordless motion, Geordi pulled Data in for a hug. Data stood motionless for a moment, surprised. He then wrapped his arms around Geordi, being careful to not hug him too tight. He still tried to fight the urge to cry, tears spilling out of his eyes without permission.

Geordi reluctantly pulled away from the hug, looking Data in the eyes. “Data, you’re not an inconvenience. You’re not dangerous. None of this is your fault. I promise.”

Data nodded, still visibly shaken.

Geordi took ahold of Data’s hand and squeezed lightly. “It’ll be alri-”

Data’s head abruptly jerked to focus his gaze somewhere beyond their conversation. “Geordi?”

“Data, what is it?” Geordi let go of Data’s hand and turned around in an attempt to find what had captured Data’s attention.

Data walked forward, ignoring Geordi’s question. He extended his arm outwards, hand delicately reaching to touch the butterfly that had landed on the window which separated the consoles of main engineering and the warp core. Just as his fingertips brushed its wings, it suddenly perished, becoming nothing more than specks of dust that flecked onto Data’s arm. 

Data slowly stepped away from the window, growing more unsettled with each second that passed. He began to feel an odd tingling sensation on the parts of his arm where the dust fell. The gentle prickling in his skin gradually became stronger, turning into pain, eventually to the point that he grabbed his arm in what could be described as instinct.

“Data? Data, what’s wrong?” The dim sound of Geordi’s voice snaked into Data’s ears, partially bringing him out of his daze. He could faintly feel a hand on his shoulder.

“The butterfly… My arm…”

“Butterfly?”

Data blinked, now vaguely aware that what he had seen had not been real. The line between reality and fantasy had blurred far enough that Data was becoming overwhelmed and confused. “I saw… a butterfly. It landed on the window, and I attempted to reach out to it. I do not know why. It... disintegrated, and the remaining particles of the butterfly fell onto my arm, causing a strong sensation of discomfort, which I can only assume was another component of the hallucination.”

“There was always a small chance you wouldn’t completely recover right away. Data, it might take a couple weeks for these hallucinations to stop.”

Data still cradled his arm, despite the pain having faded. “I…”

Suddenly, the ship violently shook, nearly knocking them over, and red alert sirens rang throughout the room. Data and Geordi exchanged worried glances, and Data quickly made his way to the bridge. Geordi watched him leave, eyebrows furrowed with concern.

 

Data walked through the doors to the bridge just as Captain Picard successfully established communication with the attacking ship.

“Why have you fired on our vessel?” Jean-Luc rose from his seat, walking slightly closer to the screen.

The creature that was displayed in front of them only smirked. “Hello, Captain.”

Data froze. That voice… He had heard that voice before. His gaze remained unmoving, locked on the screen. 

The creature had dark gray skin, and small black dots all over its face that somewhat resembled freckles. Its oddly wolf-like ears were high up on its hairless head, with small horns where ears would be on a human. The creature’s small, entirely black eyes blinked in surprise as it turned its gaze to Data. It opened its mouth to speak, allowing 4 rows of small teeth to become clearly visible.

“And hello, android.” Thin, equally gray lips curled to form a menacing smile. “Data.”

Data flinched, shoulders tensing. His uneasiness was clearly visible, especially to Deanna. His intense emotion practically enabled her to feel the same cold, bitter anxiety in his chest.

“I understand you’ve removed our little contraption. What a shame. I was looking forward to doing this the easy way.” The creature gave an unsympathetic, mocking frown, quickly returning back to its confident smirk.

“Who are you? What have you done to Data?” Jean-Luc’s voice rose slightly, only a thin moral and sensible barrier keeping his hostility at bay.

It turned its threatening stare back to the captain. “Ah, don’t worry. You’ll find out eventually. For now, however…” It turned to face someone behind the camera, snapping its fingers. “I don’t mind keeping you in the dark for a little while.” The creature gave a tight-lipped smile and the transmission cut.

Irritated, Picard cautiously turned to face Data. “Mr. Data, do you have any idea what’s going on here?”

Data wordlessly shook his head, eyes still wide with surprise and fear. Suddenly, blue light flashed from directly behind Data. He whirled around in one swift motion, meeting face-to-face with someone of similar appearance to the individual that had just been shown on-screen. The species seemed to be much taller in person, the creature towering over Data at a height of at least 7 feet.

Data quickly stepped back, but not before having his arm tightly gripped by the creature. He tried to pull away, but its hand had a sharp, artificial component attached to it, piercing deep enough into Data’s skin that the creature had enough time to press the button on its waist.

“Captain!” Data’s cry of fear faded with another flash of blue light.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hey we finally meet these two awful people haha nice

Blinded both by panic and the darkness of the ship, Data once again began to try and rip his arm out of the damaging grasp of his abductor. 

A light, familiar voice rang across the room. “I wouldn’t do that, not unless you want your whole arm to come off.”

Data ceased his efforts to free himself, now standing stock-still. Despite not being able to see more than three feet ahead, his eyes frantically darted side to side. “You... are the other voice…” He thought aloud. “Why have you transported me onboard your ship? I must assume that you are going to attempt your previous procedure… However, I am not aware of your objective.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you, too. My name’s K’Taya. As for your question, that’s not important right now. In fact, I must ask you something.” 

K’Taya stepped into a dimly lit area of the room, allowing Data to see her. She clearly had a more feminine figure, her thin arms and defined waist were clear despite the heavy uniform and armor she wore. She stood even taller than the man next to Data, measuring at over 8 feet. She raised her hand to reveal a small device.

“Did you know there was more than one chip?”

Her thumb pressed down on one of the many small buttons on the remote, and Data slumped to the floor, still conscious but now entirely immobile. He stared at the ceiling, unable to move even his eyes. He felt his arm leave the grip of his other captor.

“You may leave,” K’Taya commanded the unnamed creature. Data heard its footsteps fade. “Anyways, that,” she continued, “was just one of many functions of this little magic box I’ve got here. See, what you removed allowed me to access the deepest parts of your --marvelously advanced, by the way-- positronic brain. I would’ve known everything you know. Talk about an advantage. Unfortunately, you beat me to the punch, and got rid of it.”

She walked closer to him, bending forward into his line of vision. Unlike her male counterparts, her face was quite narrow and had no black spots. “But I still have this,” she held up the remote. “And with this, I have you. I have your movement, I have your eyes, your ears. I have all I need to break that strong android will of yours. And then, maybe I won’t need that other chip.”

She smiled, leaning only inches from his face. “Here’s another example.”

The last thing Data saw before he fell entirely unconscious was the dead, haunting stare of K’Taya’s eyes.

 

If he were anyone else, Data would’ve squinted his eyes to shield himself from the bright light that greeted him as his vision slowly returned.

“Rise and shine. You’ll notice you can move now. Go ahead, stand up. Walk around,” K’Taya encouraged.

Data slowly rose from the small wooden chair he had previously been sitting in. He had remained motionless for what his internal chronometer told him was 1.35 hours. His artificial heartbeat thundered in his ears.

“Come on, don’t be so cautious. As long as you don’t try to escape, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Data tilted his head slightly at the cryptic implication of K’Taya’s warning. He tried to walk forward, but couldn’t make it more than a few steps before feeling the same tingling sensation he had felt during his hallucination of the butterfly. His entire body stood involuntarily frozen, reacting the same way a human would to being electrocuted.

Data pulled himself out of the invisible barrier and fell backwards onto the floor, feeling the discomfort wash away the moment he re-entered the small enclosure.

K’Taya winked, clicking her tongue twice. “There ya go. Not a sensation you’re used to feeling, is it?”

Her words were nearly inaudible over the loud buzzing in Data’s ears. Still disoriented, he slowly sat up. “You… have violated Federation law by imprisoning me here.”

“If I cared, I wouldn’t have brought you here. See, originally, you were supposed to get here on your own. You eventually would have forgotten everything, and your only goal would be to find… well, me. And, of course,” she gestured to the side, beckoning someone to walk forward out of the darkness. “Adolar.”

Adolar moved into the light. Standing over a foot shorter than K’Taya, he was still abnormally tall. Data’s eyes widened. He was the one who had made contact with the Enterprise.

“Hello again, android.” Adolar leered. Data blankly stared, still too overwhelmed to respond or react. Adolar leaned closer to K’Taya. “Can it even hear me?”

She elbowed him in the arm. “Don’t be a dick. Yes, he can hear you.”

Data blinked, momentarily bewildered by the small fragment of decent respect K’Taya seemed to show for him.

Adolar stepped effortlessly through the barrier, standing only a few feet away from Data. “Hello? Anybody there?” He waved his hand in front of Data’s face.

In one swift motion, Data grabbed Adolar’s wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. With his other hand, he reached up to push him against the wall by his neck. Patches of his vision cut in and out from the remaining effects of the barrier, but he managed to keep a tight hold of Adolar. 

“Impressive,” K’Taya quipped, “but I’ve still got the upper hand.” 

She pressed a different button this time, and Data was enveloped by pain, the same extreme discomfort he had felt when he had stepped into the barrier. He inadvertently let go of Adolar and his legs buckled underneath him. 

Adolar rushed back over to K’Taya, protectively holding his arm.

She glanced at Adolar. “Dumbass,” she muttered. 

K’Taya pressed the button again and the pain subsided. 

Black and white specks danced in Data’s vision. He raised his head to make eye contact with K’Taya. “When… I am rescued… you will-” Data was cut off by a malfunction in his speech, a pained mechanical whine. He furrowed his eyebrows in irritation and attempted to finish his sentence. “You… will…” Data gave up trying to speak and laid his head back, half-lidded eyes staring at the ceiling.

“Giving up already? That’s no fun,” K’Taya taunted. She seemed to be preparing to say something else, but her words were interrupted by the threatening sound of the Enterprise’s phaser fire against the ship’s port nacelle. “Shit,” she ran out of the room, Adolar following closely behind.

Data’s thoughts swirled in his head, the room spinning around him. After one last futile attempt to raise his head, he closed his eyes entirely. The ambient sounds of the room wrapped around him like a blanket, lulling him into an unwilled slumber.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wow this one is like 1700 words??? a lot happens its good man

**Request time of unconsciousness**

Twelve minutes, sixteen seconds, two hundred and seventy-four milliseconds.

**End sleep program**

Error. 

**Run level three diagnostic**

Error. Diagnostic could not initiate.

**Run level four diagnostic**

Error. Diagnostic could not be completed.

**Run level five diagnostic**

All systems are running at functional levels.

**End sleep program; bypass safety override**

Sleep program terminating.

 

Data’s eyes snapped open. Greeted with the complete absence of light and sound, his only indication of consciousness was the cool, hard surface beneath him. 

One of many emotions he had experienced was sympathy. As he lay helpless and blind on the bitterly cold floor of the erratically shaking ship, fear was nearly overtaken by the sympathy he felt for Geordi, for his lack of sight. Three minutes of blindness and he could already feel dread strangling him with hands so malevolent he could have tasted the blood on their fingertips.

As he continued to convert more of his power to restore his sight and hearing, he made a final mental note to spend more time with Geordi. Tell him he appreciated him. Something. Anything.

Another emotion was loneliness. Certainly a less pleasant experience than sympathy.

As the distant sounds of an unfamiliar --and damaged-- ship began to ring in his ears, a fleeting thought reminded him that he would rather be unconscious.

Hollow darkness still stared him in the eyes, taunting him with small flashes of sight, a desire he could have reached out to with both arms and still let slip out of his grasp.

He forced all the energy he could into his visual sensory functions, at last being met with blurred tunnel vision. Another attempt to restore more of his vision resulted in his sight flickering out entirely. His equilibrium was thrown off, and the world spun behind his unfocused eyes. 

His cry of frustration was drowned out by the distant, urgent sounds of the bridge.

 

Piercing red alert sirens blared through the corridors, lights flashing nearly in rhythm with the violent jolts of the ship.

Despite the critical situation both throughout the ship and in main engineering, Geordi couldn’t concentrate. Data was on that ship. Data was in danger. Maybe he was in pain. Maybe he was already-

Geordi shook his head as if that would hurl the thought out of his mind. His ears screamed with sirens and voices and footsteps and the sound of his own ragged breath as he fought back aching tears.

When Data was brought back --not if, when-- Geordi was never going to let him go.

 

Data was a creature of habit, and one pattern he stayed firmly grounded to was optimism, perseverance, patience. But hope began to give way to despair, pain, desperation. He would never give up, but oh, how he wanted to. That small part of him that wished nothing more than to sleep for weeks on end, or maybe forever, until he was rescued.

But he would not. He forced his eyes wide open, despite the lack of sensory information that this would provide. He tried to stand, but disorientation and blindness made this task too difficult, and his left arm refused to move whatsoever. So he opted for sitting.

The ship had stopped at this point, the action slowing to a halt along with it. He sat in silence, his own anxious breathing being the only thing reassuring him that he had not gone deaf again.

Data could have fallen asleep sitting up. He wanted to. He almost needed to. He was running on abnormally low power and he felt exhaustion pulling him down like gravity. The only thing that kept him awake besides willpower was anticipation. 

But even androids do not have limitless self-discipline. He tentatively leaned back, allowing his head to rest on the floor. His eyelids fluttered closed. Thoughts dimmed. He must not sleep. He must… stay awake. He-

“Data!”

Commander Riker. Will. He tried to open his eyes. Tried to say something, anything. He remained motionless. His thoughts clouded like smoke, even the most simple thoughts were a challenge. Why could he not move? Why could he not speak? Could anyone see him?

“Data, can you hear me?” Will’s voice again, but softer. More worried, less urgent.

At last, he opened his mouth, but all he could emit was a distorted, mechanical “help.”

He could hear the relief in Will’s sigh, but also the concern in his voice as he tapped his combadge and called to be beamed up with Data and the two other members of the away team.

Not until recently had the phrase “time flew by” made any sense to Data. But as he materialized on the ship, voices blurring around him, time was no longer linear. He could hardly even feel himself being lifted onto the anti-grav lift. 

But he could feel himself fading. The air on his skin was not cold nor warm any longer. The residual pain from the chip was gone. His blindness did not matter because he was not capable of opening his eyes. Sugar in a glass of warm water. Dissolving. Fading. Distant. Dying.

There was nothing this time. When he had nearly died having the device removed by Geordi, he had seen nearly every event of his life flash past him.

All that met him now was darkness. Emptiness. The complete lack of existence.

He realized now that he had not felt exhaustion back on the other ship. He had felt the weight of death pulling him down. He cursed himself for allowing himself to give in.

Only the most basic of thoughts stayed with him as light flashed in his eyes. Sounds and sights hovered around him, fading in and out. Was this what it felt like to die? 

“Data, try to say something.” A clear, but indefinable voice came out of the chaos.

Hardly even aware of it himself, he opened his mouth and tried to speak. “I… cannot… see.”

A soft sigh of relief came from the person above him. “I know. That’ll take another minute to come online. Can you hear me clearly?”

“Yes… but… not much… else.”

“Whatever happened to you on that ship hurt you pretty badly. It’ll take a while for everything to get back to normal.”

At mention of the ship, memories came flooding back. That was Geordi’s voice. He was speaking to Geordi. He had to say something. Tell him he was still in danger, that there was more than one device implanted in his brain.

“Remote. Chip. Pain. Danger. I- I-” 

“Data? Data, what are you talking about?”

“There is… another… chip. It is controlled… by remote. That is what... has caused… this. Harmful… electrical impulses… can be activated by th- the remote.” Data’s words were slow and unclear, almost slurred.

“I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Let me check again.”

At last, Data’s vision slowly returned and he could see Geordi reach to open one of the panels on Data’s scalp.

“Geordi?”

“Yeah, Data?”

“For a period of time, I… saw nothing. I could feel nothing. I experienced a... complete lack of sensory input. I could hardly form thoughts. It is the closest I have ever come to death.”

“Data, you _were_ dead. You’ve been falling in and out of consciousness for hours, but for a few minutes you had no brain activity at all. You died.”

“I… was dead.” He said, almost disbelieving. He paused. “Hours?”

Geordi smiled a little at his reaction as he tried to find any abnormalities in Data’s brain. “It probably doesn’t feel like it for you, but you were transported back to the Enterprise 9 hours ago. The other ship tried to get away, but when that failed… Well, let’s just say we had to get the ship away before any debris hit us.”

“They self-destructed.”

“Yeah. I gotta guess they had a whole lot of stuff on that ship they didn’t want getting out.”

“That means that everything on the ship... was destroyed. Including the remote.”

“That’s right.”

“Geordi,” Data interjected, voice crackling slightly from the extra force, “do not remove the chip.”

“What?” Geordi asked, clearly confused.

“When the more intrusive device was removed, I continued to experience emotion. I can only assume that this other chip is the reason I still have emotions.”

“Data…”

“I am aware of how harmful the results could be, but I am willing to take the risks. Emotion is something I have sought after all my life, and I do not intend to let it go.”

“Data, th-”

“Please, Geordi.” Data tilted his head to look at him.

“You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?”

“I do not plan to.”

Geordi smiled, closing the panel on Data’s scalp. “Were you always this stubborn?”

Data smiled and tried with some difficulty to sit up, and although he succeeded, his vision flickered in and out and the room seemed to sway. Geordi noticed his dazed expression and he put a hand on Data’s back, steadying him.

“That’s not going to go away.”

“I do not understand.”

“All the bad side effects, like occasional dizziness and sleepiness and random fits of pain from the electrical charges. It’ll weaken over the next couple days, but it’ll never go away entirely. Are you sure you’ll be able to deal with that?”

Data nodded. “I am more adaptable than you realize, Geordi.” 

Geordi chuckled. “I missed you, Data.”

“I missed you as well, Geordi.” Data tentatively leaned in and softly kissed Geordi on the lips. Geordi smiled into the kiss.

Geordi reluctantly pulled away. “Data, you should get some rest, make the recovery less hard on yourself.”

Data nodded, lying back down. As he calmly drifted into the still relatively new feeling of sleep, he could faintly feel Geordi caressing his hair.

“Goodnight, Data,” Geordi whispered, and his voice barely reached him before he fell asleep.


	11. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> haha science that actually doesn't make any sense
> 
> i would scold myself, but we all know star trek itself does the same damn thing

Data jolted awake, forcibly ending his sleep program which had only begun moments ago. It had been three weeks since he settled on sleeping every other night, and he still had not gotten used to the occasional dream, visions caused by the electrical charges.

Unfortunately, it was the only way he could truly function properly now that the chip’s malfunctions were a part of him. 

Evidently, the electrical impulses occasionally caused functions such as his vision, equilibrium, and even his processing speeds to temporarily degrade or malfunction, and he found that sleep was a way to reset the effects.

He had learned this in a less than ideal way when he lost consciousness on the bridge. He had stood from his position at ops and a charge bolted through him, finally pushing the strain on his systems over the edge. He pitched forward like stone. As reluctant as he was to begin a normal sleep schedule, he found it very unsettling to lose control in front of everyone that way.

So he slept every other night. He still had trouble keeping his balance sometimes, but he tried to consider it a positive opportunity, a way to feel more human. He decided it was no different than… than the experience of a drop in blood pressure.

But nightmares were another human experience. So was fear. Data rose from his bed and began to pace the room, trying to calm his nerves. He did not plan to go back to sleep.

 

“Data? Data, are you listening to me?” Geordi’s voice pushed through the thick fog that clouded Data’s thoughts.

Data blinked in surprise and looked up at Geordi. He hesitated. “Yes.”

“No, you aren’t.” Geordi crossed his arms, both exasperated and concerned.

“I am sorry, Geordi. Please continue.”

Geordi sighed. “Well, I was thinking that if we- Data!”

“I can not- I am having a difficult time concentrating on- on what you are saying. I believe I have inadvertently done more harm than expected.” Data seemed unfocused and exhausted, as if a gust of wind could have knocked him over.

“What do you mean?”

“I… I have not fully activated my sleep program for six days.”

“Data, you-”

“I- I am aware that I should have, please do not remind me.” Data irritably snapped, instantly regretting his tone of voice.

“Then why didn’t you?”

Data shook his head, staring at the floor. “I have been experiencing... nightmares.”

Geordi raised his eyebrows. “Nightmares? I didn’t know you were dreaming at all. Why didn’t you say something?”

Data looked back up at Geordi. “I did not consider it important at the time.”

“It is! And you’re important, too. Especially to me.” Geordi softened his voice. “And what’s really important now is that you need to sleep, and you need to do it before your body does it for you.”

Data nodded.

 

Data paced the room, repeatedly glancing at his bed. All he needed to do was lay down and sleep, so what was stopping him? Why was he so afraid? 

He sat down on the edge of the bed, putting his head in his hands as the vision in his left eye flickered out. He really did need to sleep. 

Data stood up again and smoothed out his uniform, ignoring the effects of the subsequent electrical charge. He thought back to previous experiences, thinking of things that would help him gather the courage to sleep.

His lips formed a tight line, frustration painting his face with emotion. He felt an unsettling shame at being unable to make himself sleep, being so strong in nearly every other aspect. He knew it was only logical that a new concept such as emotion could have inconveniencing effects, but emotions are not logical.

So he was still ashamed, despite his best efforts. 

His thoughts spiraled to his recovery four weeks ago, when Geordi had comforted him as he unwillingly fell asleep after being returned to the Enterprise.

Crystal clear memories meant he could almost still see Geordi beside him, fingers continuing to weave loving words into his hair, lulling him to sleep with soft reassurances.

Data smiled faintly at his remembrance of that day. He had been exhausted and overwhelmed, and almost died, but it ended with Geordi by his side. He could not have chosen a better ending.

Data sat down as the left side of his head began to ache.

He did not want to be an inconvenience. He did not consider his problem to be too important. But then he remembered what Geordi had told him. That he was not an inconvenience. That he was important. He deserved to be worried about. To be loved.

Data hesitantly tapped his combadge. “Geordi?”

Geordi’s voice came through nearly instantly. “What is it, Data?”

“Would… Would you be willing to stop by my quarters?”

Data could almost hear Geordi’s smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it. I plan to write more, don't worry! I hope you enjoyed.


End file.
